Paging Mr Right
by Drarry-Snarry Whore
Summary: Emmett's tired of his disaster of a love life. His best friend Kellan wonders if she'll ever meet a guy who can see past her wheelchair. Together, these two will find love in unexpected places. Em/Seth and Kellan/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This idea came to me by way of my love for both Emmett and Seth and there not being enough stories of them together. I also happen to be a huge fan of Joe Mauer and have crush on him. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this story or how long it will be. This is a SLASH story which means it's M/M. If that makes you uncomfortable or if you have a problem with it please leave now, you have been warned.**

**I want to say thanks to my pre-reader DelphiusFanfic and my Beta Mrs. Agget. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight SM does I just like to spice things up a bit with some M/M loving.**

**EmPOV**

"Emmett, you are such an ass!" she laughs while playfully slapping my arm.

"I agree, but you have to admit that I have a fine looking one," I say, shaking my ass a little and wiggling my eyebrows up and down.

Winking, she says, "If you weren't gay, I'd be on you like white on rice."

God, I love this girl! Kellan and I have been best friends since the moment we met at the ripe old age of five. Now, at the age of twenty-five, we are practically inseparable. I have no doubt in my mind that if I were straight, she would be my soul mate.

She's not what you consider typical. Most people look at her with pity or just outright stare. She always puts on a brave face and pretends like it doesn't bug her, but I know deep down it does. That's a big reason why she's never dated. Most guys can't get past the fact she's in a wheelchair.

I think the reason we became instant friends is that I didn't ask her why she was in a wheelchair or even really notice it; I just marched right up to her and asked if she wanted to play.

It hasn't been easy having a best friend that has a disease that will likely kill her before she is old and grey. I've seen her have to suffer through more than one person should ever have to endure. If I were in her shoes, I would be a total bitch. No one would ever want to be around me.

She always has a smile on her face, a joke to tell, or is trying to cheer everyone else up. She's like sunshine, always warm and happy. What she goes through makes my stuff seem trivial, but she never makes it seem that way.

I'm rudely brought out of my thoughts by a pillow hitting me in the head.

"What the hell was that for?"

"I've been calling your name, trying to get you out of La La Land for the past five minutes. I finally had to resort to physical violence. You're just lucky I picked the pillow and not the lamp," she says while smiling mischievously.

Pretending to be pissed, I huff in fake annoyance and retrieve the offending object from the floor. I look at it for a minute before I lightly toss it back at her.

"I swear I don't know why I put up with your shit," I say, shaking my head.

Giving me big doe eyes, she says,"Because you love me and can't imagine life without me in it?" .

"Although that may be true, buttering me up isn't going to work," I say, scowling at her.

She starts laughing so hard she actually snorts because she knows I'm not really mad at her. Her amusement is contagious and, like always, I soon find myself cracking-up along with her. After we calm ourselves, I climb onto the end of her bed and sit facing her with my legs stretched out.

I know she is waiting for me to spill the beans about the date I had last night. It's a miracle she has made it this long without hounding me for every detail. I usually get bombarded with questions as soon as I step foot inside her room.

I have a nagging suspicion something is wrong and I have no clue what it could be. A million different possibilities start running through my head. I close my eyes and try to hold my emotions in check because it's common knowledge that I tend to overreact. All of a sudden, I feel her tickling the bottom of my feet and I, a grown man, squeal like a fucking girl. I quickly pull them away and tuck them in, sitting cross legged, which is not an easy thing to do when you are 6' 5" and have long limbs.

"What is it, pick on Emmett McCarty day?"

"No, but I know what is going through that brain of yours and it's really not as bad as you think."

"Then talk, because I'm going crazy with worry over here."

She pats the spot next to her so I unfold myself and crawl up the bed to sit beside her. She rests her head on my shoulder and grabs my hand, linking our fingers together.

She takes a moment and then finally says, "You know how I've been having a lot of pain in my back lately?"

Knowing she can feel it, I nod my head yes.

"It's been getting worse so I finally relented and called the doctor this morning and talked to him. He wants me to come in for some tests but he already has told me that it probably has to do with the spinal fusion surgery I had when I was ten. He thinks I may have grown out of the repair and I may have to have surgery again."

She was right; it wasn't as awful as I was thinking, but still bad enough. It may have been fourteen years since that particular surgery, but I remember it like it was yesterday. She was under the knife for fourteen hours. When I was finally allowed to go and see her in the intensive care unit, I didn't even recognize her. Her whole body was swollen to twice it's normal size. She drifted in and out of consciousness and when she was awake would be in so much pain that she would scream at the top of her lungs and ask for more meds and water. When they told her she couldn't have any more medicine for a while and would only allow her to have ice chips and not water, she cried and screamed even louder until she finally passed out. It was so hard to see her like that. I was plagued with nightmares for months afterwards. She ended up having to stay in the hospital for two weeks and I rarely left her side.

I don't want to have to see or experience that again and I know she doesn't want to either, but if it will relieve her of her constant pain in the long run, how can I be against it?

Being careful, I pull her close and wrap my arms around her.

"I know you're scared, Kell. I am too. We will see what the Doc says after the tests and go from there. If you end up having to have the operation, don't think about all the negative aspects of it. Instead, think about being free from your back pain in the long run."

She burrows her head into my neck and nods her head. I can feel her silent tears against my skin. I kiss the top of her head and, wanting to cheer her up, I start talking about my date last night.

"Okay, enough with the doom and gloom. I know you're dying to hear all about my date with Mike." Just saying his name makes me shudder and not in a good way.

Let's just say I'm notorious for having a lot of bad dates, but this one was, by far, the worst yet. I would be shocked if anyone can top the disaster that is Mike Newton.

"Come on Em, spill already! Can't you see I'm dying over here?"

I take a deep breath and sigh.

"It couldn't have been _that_ bad."

Shaking my head, I say, "You have no idea."

She gives me the 'spill it or I'll hurt you' look, so I take another deep breath and begin.

"It all started when he picked me up for our date. I was sitting outside on the porch, waiting, when he pulls up on a pale pink moped and wearing a neon green helmet. That's not even the worst part. He then pats the seat behind him and holds up another green helmet, expecting me to hop on."

She bursts into uncontrollable laughter at this, so I stop and wait for her to settle down. After about five minutes, she has herself back under control so I continue.

"There was no way in hell I was getting on that thing or wearing that ugly ass helmet so I told him I would drive while he gave me directions. We ended up at this diner called The Grease Pit where he proceeded to order for me and was completely rude to the waiter, complaining that the salad was wilted, the fruit was over ripe, and that the dishes were dirty."

"He did what? At least tell me he ordered you something good. If he wanted better food and service, he should have taken you to a fancier place, the cheap bastard."

"I wish! He ordered me a salad for dinner and mixed fruit for dessert. Do I look like I eat that rabbit food shit? I'm a fucking meat and potatoes guy."

She just shakes her head.

"After dinner, we went to see a movie and he talked through the whole thing and held his hand out like a bear trap wanting me to place mine in his. Needless to say, I kept my hands folded in my lap. When the movie was over, I drove us back to my place. He walked me to the door and I could tell he wanted me to invite him in. I made an excuse and said goodnight. Before I turned to go inside, he leaned in and kissed me. It was, by far, the worst kiss I have ever had. It was worse than kissing a girl! He had no technique at all. His breath smelt like garlic and there was so much spit I felt like I was drowning. He only left after I promised to call him. I felt like throwing up so I rushed inside and straight into the bathroom to brush my teeth and rinse my mouth out with Listerine." Telling her about the kiss makes me feel nauseous all over again.

"That has to be the worst date you have had so far. I swear, you have the worst luck with men."

I laugh. "Tell me something I don't know."

All of a sudden, she looks at me seriously. "So, are you going to call him?"

I look at her like she is crazy. "Are you fucking kidding me? Hell no I'm not going to call him! I wouldn't even if he was the last guy on earth!"

She knew that question would get me riled up and just sits there with a satisfied smirk on her face.

I smile. "You know, I really hate you sometimes."

"You lie. You love me and worship the ground I roll on."

"Speaking of roll, you ready to get in your chair or are you too sore today?"

"I'm ready. It looks too nice outside today to stay indoors."

"Okay, let me get everything set up. Do you have to go to the bathroom before I get you out of bed?" She shakes her head no.

I know it seems weird to most that I would ask, but I have been doing most of this stuff for over ten years. Plus, after all, I am her PCA, or personal care attendant, and now get paid for doing it even though I would do it for free. I actually feel like I have the best job in the world because I get to hang out with my best friend and get paid for it. Don't get me wrong; it's not all fun and games. There is work involved.

I hop off the bed and move her chair into place. I put one arm behind her back and the other under her knees and gingerly lift her up, pivot, and place her in her chair and make sure she is situated and comfortable.

"Thanks, Em."

I wink at her. "It's what I'm here for. So, what's the plan for today?"

"I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon. They had an opening and wanted me there as soon as possible." I can see the worry and fear in her eyes. She hates going to the hospital because they are always poking and prodding at her and she feels like some sort of experiment.

"What time is your appointment?"

"Two."

I look at the clock. Eleven thirty. It's about a two hour drive to get to the hospital, so we need to hit the road within the next ten minutes so we have enough time to park and everything.

I knew what the most likely outcome of today is going to be. So while Kellan went to say goodbye to her mom, I went outside to make a quick phone call and to get the van ready.

By the time I hang up, I am ecstatic. Even though it was very last minute, I managed to score dugout passes to the Twins game tonight. We will get to meet the players before the game to get autographs and pictures and watch the game from the front row.

It cost me more than it normally would, but I'm not worried about it. I mean, it's not like I'm hurting for money. I live rent free with Kellan and her mom and my job pays well.

It would give us something fun to do after the grueling day ahead. Plus, Kell is a huge Joe Mauer and Minnesota Twins fan, so the extra expense was well worth it just to see her reaction later.

As she comes out of the house, I compose myself so as to not give anything away. I help her into the vehicle and tie the wheelchair down before climbing into the driver's seat. I turn the radio to our favorite station and then we are on our way. As per usual, we end up blasting the music and singing very off key to all the songs we know to distract us from where we are headed. It normally works, but not this time. I just keep on belting out the lyrics so I don't let on that how, with each mile that passes, my anxiety rises.

When we reach the city limits of St. Paul, I shut the radio off so I can concentrate on navigating the heavy downtown traffic. I take a chance and quickly glance at Kell in the rearview mirror. She's nervously biting on her bottom lip. Turning my gaze back to the road, I say "If you don't stop gnawing on that thing, you're going to end up biting it off." She responds by throwing her empty water bottle at me.

"Don't make me pull this car over and come back there, missy!"

"Ooooh, I'm soooo scared!" she says laughing.

I shake my head. "People nowadays have no respect. Here I am, chauffeuring your ass around and what do I get? You tossing things at me and mocking me. You better watch it or I'll quit right now and leave your ungrateful behind here and not give you your surprise after we are done."

The whole time I am talking, she is sitting there giggling uncontrollably. As soon as I said the word "surprise" she stopped, fast.

She whines, "Em, how many times do I have to tell you I hate surprises before you get it through that thick skull of yours?"

"You are going to love this one, I promise."

Sighing, she says, "That's what you **a**_**lways**_ tell me."

"But this time I _**know**_ I'm right!"

With that being said, I drive into the underground parking and find an empty spot next to the elevator. I hop out and after unfolding the ramp, I untie the straps keeping her in place. While I am bent over in front of her, working on the last tie-down, she smacks me in the back of the head.

"What the fuck?" I turn my face to look at her. She just gives me her 'you know exactly what that was for' look.

If she only knew what I got for her, she would be hugging and kissing me, not hitting me.

I go back to doing what I was doing before I was interrupted, but now I mumble under my breath to make her think that I am actually mad.

When I am finished and about to get out, she grabs my hand to stop me. She doesn't say anything until I look her in the eyes.

"Thanks for making me laugh and taking my mind off things for a while."

I gently squeeze her hand. "Anytime. Now lets get this over with because you have a surprise waiting for you!

She groans and rolls her eyes at me.

We are a little early but head up to the fourth floor to get signed in anyway. I walk on her left side so I can hold her hand as we go, to give her some comfort. As we approach the desk, the older looking woman behind it smiles brightly and says, "Well aren't you just the most adorable couple I have ever seen?"

Kellan and I look at each other and I can see the amusement in her eyes. Wanting to keep it there for as long as possible, I decide to pretend to be her boyfriend, knowing she will get a kick out of it. I lean in and peck her on the lips. She's stunned, but I wink at her and she smiles mischievously in return, figuring out what I'm doing, and plays along by pressing her lips against mine one more time. Kissing her isn't as bad I thought it would be, but I prefer a guy's lips much more.

We get her signed in, the whole time calling each other baby, love, and hun. By the time we are heading towards the waiting room, we can no longer hold it together and start laughing hysterically. Everyone we pass looks at us like we are crazy which in turn causes us to crack up even more. By the time we find an area to sit in with not too many other people around, we starting to settle down as the realization of why we are here settles back in.

After only a few minutes, Kell's name is called and we follow the nurse to a room where the doctor comes in briefly to discuss what will be happening today and to ask if there are any questions. She doesn't have any but I ask if I'm allowed in the room when they are being performed and he tells me no, which makes me upset, but there isn't anything I can do about it. The nurse comes back and starts to prepare her for the first test, which will take about an hour. Before she leads Kell out of the room, I give her a big hug and tell her everything will be fine. She just nods her head and gives me a weak smile before following after the nurse.

I return to the waiting room and just sit there, trying not to think about anything. Before I know it, Kell comes out and parks her chair next to me. We sit there quietly for a few minutes before she says they will have the test results within the next fifteen minutes and it depends on them what happens next. I put my arm around her shoulders and she rests her head on my shoulder. I lean my head and rest it against hers. After a while, the same nurse comes backs and says that they have to do another test which should only take thirty to forty-five minutes. Instead of just sitting here while it's being done, I decide to walk down the hall and see a couple of people I worked with here while attending school that I haven't seen in a while.

Catching up with them helps take my mind off of things, but not completely. I can't help but notice a male nurse that I don't recognize doing his rounds. I only catch brief glances of him out of the corner of my eye as he goes in and out of each room. He has to be at least 6' 3" and has naturally tan skin and a head of beautiful jet black hair; he must be Native American.

While talking with Becca and Penny, I hear someone yell my name and all of a sudden, I feel two little arms wrap around my legs. Surprised, I look down to see a little girl with long, curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. I recognize her right away and crouch down to give her a big hug.

"Alice, it's so good to see you, sweetheart! What are you doing here?"

"I had a check-up and wanted to come and say hi. I'm so happy you're here. I've missed you!" she says excitedly.

"I've missed you, too. You've gotten so big since the last time I saw you!"

She smiles brightly and nods her head up and down.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the tall Native American has stopped to watch mine and Alice's interaction. I glance at him and our eyes meet briefly. They were the most beautiful shade of slate grey.

Alice quickly draws my attention back to her, talking about school and the new puppy she got for her seventh birthday. All too soon, her mom is saying it's time to go. She embraces me one last time before saying goodbye and skipping off to her mom. I stand up and catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall. _Shit, I need to get back to the waiting room! _ I say my farewells and turn to leave. As I do, all I see is the tall, dark, and handsome stranger's back as he is walking away.

I make it back just as Kell is coming back out into the waiting room. I tell her about visiting Becca and Penny, and about seeing Alice. By the time I'm finished, the nurse is back and leading us back into the room. Waiting for the doctor to come in is tortuous. It feels like hours when, in actuality, it's only about two minutes.

"The test results were as I suspected; you are going to need surgery again."

I reach for her hand and she squeezes it as the doc continues to speak.

"I would highly advise that you have the operation as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the worse it will be for you."

The nurse pops back in and whispers in Dr. Koop's ear. After a moment, she leaves and he turns to Kellan and says, "There has been a cancellation and, if you like, we can schedule you for Friday. If not, there is a two month wait for the next available opening."

She sits there silently and the doctor pats her hand and says "I'll give you a few minutes to think about it," before getting up and exiting the room.

As soon as the door closes, silent tears start running down her face and I don't even think she notices. I wrap my arms around her and tell her everything will be okay. I try to stay strong and not start crying myself. After a few minutes, the doctor comes back in. She quickly wipes the tears away and composes herself. I sit back down in my chair but keep her hand in mine.

"So Kellan, have you made your decision?" Dr. Koop asks.

She gives me a brief look, in which I can tell what her choice is, before turning towards him.

"Yes. I would like to get it over and done with so I would like to do it this week."

He nods his head and writes something down before he stands and shakes both of our hands. "The front desk will have all the necessary paperwork for you to sign. I'll see you both of you bright and early Friday morning."

We go back out to the reception desk, set it all up, and fill out the necessary forms. Angela is no longer there but that's more than fine because neither of us are in any shape to really talk or interact with anyone. It is taking us all we have to just be able to get through signing all the documents.

Once finished, we head to the van as quickly as possible. As soon as the doors of the vehicle close, we both break down crying. I climb into the back and envelop her in my arms as we let all of our emotions go. We stay like that for a while, even after our tears have dried.

Wanting to lift our spirits I look at her with a big cheesy smile and wiggle my eyebrows. "Are you ready for your surprise?"

**A/N: What did you think? Reviews are appreciated but not required. Thanks for taking the time to read. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I want to thank my beta Mrs. Agget.**

**This chapter is dedicated to SimplyMatt, whose review inspired and pushed me to write and get this chapter out as fast as I did.**

**I do not own Twilight. I just like to play around with the boys.**

**EmPOV**

Just as I had thought, seeing Kell's reaction to her surprise is totally worth it. She thought we were just going to go and watch the game and take a tour of Target Field. The look on her face when we walk into the locker room to meet the players is priceless. She has the most beautiful smile plastered on her face.

She motions for me to bend down. When I do, she wraps her arms around my neck and says, "I can't believe you did this, Em. I don't know what to say besides thank you and you are the best friend anyone could ever wish for!"

"I _told you _you would like it. Now, enough with the emo shit. We have hot guys to ogle."

As we go around the room, greeting the team and getting autographs and pictures, I notice that the catcher and backup first baseman, Joe Mauer, can't keep his eyes off of her. Even though she is excited to be meeting with everyone else, I notice that she constantly gazes in Joe's direction only to blush and look away quickly.

When it's finally his turn and their eyes meet for the first time, you can see and almost feel the electricity between the two. Their eyes meet and are quickly flooded with emotions. Kellan offers her hand. Joe takes it and kisses the back of it sweetly. There is now a permanent blush on Kell's cheeks.

"It's good to meet you...ah..."

"Kellan," she says shyly.

"Kellan. That's a beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

Justin Morneau, the first baseman, elbows Joe in the ribs. "Well, aren't you the charmer?"

Joe shoots Justin a dirty look and focuses his attention back on Kell. I cross my arms over my chest, thoroughly amused. It's so obvious he likes her. I have _**never**_ seen Kell this shy or speechless before.

There's only one more player to meet, and as Kellan moves to talk to him, I motion for Joe to follow me. We retreat to a spot away from the other guys, and he looks at me curiously.

"I saw the way you were looking at each other."

"She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

"And...?"

"I would like to talk to her some more and get to know her better."

"How exactly do you plan to do that?"

"I was hoping maybe you could give me a few ideas."

"That depends."

"On what?"

"How serious you are about this. She has enough things to deal with and I won't let you get close and get her hopes up only for you to crush her."

He looks me directly in the eye and says, "When I gazed into her eyes I felt this...I don't know... like I was whole. Like I was complete. I want that feeling to continue and I'll do everything in my power to do so."

I like the fact that he looked at me while speaking to me. I could tell he was being sincere and wasn't bullshitting me.

"Well, I surprised Kell with this today because she had a doctor's appointment and found out she needs to have surgery again to fix the rods keeping her spine straight."

His eyebrows furrowed with worry. "When's the operation?"

"Friday at six in the morning. They have to take the old ones out and put new ones in, so it will probably take about 20 hours, if not more. It's a major procedure she's having done."

By the time I'm done telling him about what's going to happen, he is pale white and looking very concerned and upset. I follow his eyes as they search out Kellan. I glance back at Joe and I see him visibly relax and am amazed. I've never seen someone have that reaction from just looking at someone.

"I don't care what I have to do to make it happen but _**I'm going to be there**_."

The determination in his voice was surprising.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Dead serious. Like I told you, I feel something for her and even though we've only known each other for less than five minutes, I need to be there. To not be would just feel wrong and I'll go crazy with worry not knowing what is happening."

I'm still cautious of him but am also really happy for Kell. Friday is going to be a test for all of us and, believe it or not, I sincerely hope he passes.

Finally, I relent and ask him for something to write on so I can give him directions. When I am just finishing and handing him the paper, Kell appears at our sides. She looks at us both curiously.

"What are you doing all the way over here?"

"Joe and I were just discussing baseball."

She gives me this look like 'yeah, I don't buy that' but doesn't say anything. Joe excuses himself for a moment. "I'll be right back. I have something I need to do really quick."

When he is finally out of earshot, I turn to Kellan. "Having fun?"

"Fun isn't even the right word. It's more like the time of my life."

"I'm glad. I think we both really needed this after today."

The smile she has had since we arrived suddenly disappears. I could kick my own ass for putting a frown on her face. We are supposed to be having fun. I have something that will hopefully bring it back.

"I think Joe likes you."

"What would make you say that?"

"He couldn't keep his eyes off of you the entire time we were talking."

Out of the the corner of my eye, I notice Joe return and stand behind her.

"Look at me and look at him. Joe would never be interested in someone like me."

"Yes I would be. You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen and had the pleasure of meeting."

Her eyes grow as big as saucers and her mouth drops open. She whips her chair around and gapes at him. I crack up at her reaction. She turns her head back in my direction and let me tell you, if looks could kill, I'd be dead. I stifle my laughter by putting my hand over my mouth.

Her face turns beet red and she has tears in her eyes. She glances back at Joe before taking off out of the room. We both stand there staring at each other for a minute before taking off after her. We find her right outside the door. I go to approach her, but Joe puts his hand on my arm stopping me. I give him a funny look and he says, "Let me go."

I nod my head and he goes over and squats down in front of her. Deciding to give them some privacy, I walk down the hall a little way and wait. After about ten minutes, Kell comes wheeling towards me. I hang my head in shame and embarrassment.

"You're an asshole, Emmett McCarty. I can't believe you didn't tell me he was standing behind me! I have never been more humiliated in my life."

"I know. I am so sorry. I had good intentions. I hate hearing you talk about yourself like that. You are a very beautiful woman and any guy, gay or straight, who doesn't see that is stupid."

"I know you meant well, but it was still embarrassing as hell, not to mention hurtful, when you laughed at me."

I didn't mean to laugh at her but the look on her face was priceless. I wrap my arms around her and repeat that I'm sorry.

We whisper back and forth for a few more minutes before I spot Joe heading our way and tell her so. I release my hold on Kell, who now has a smile and slight blush back on her face.

He stands in front of Kellan. "It's almost game time but before I have to go, I wanted to give you something." He takes the chain from around his neck off. It has a pendant on it. "It's Saint Christopher, the Patron Saint of strength. Emmett told me about the surgery you have to have and I would like for you to have it."

He puts the necklace around her neck and she surprises both of us when she hugs him. Joe looks like he is about to burst with happiness. "I don't know what else to say but thank you and it doesn't feel like it's enough," she says. He hugs her back and they both hang on for longer than normal.

As he pulls away, he places a kiss on her cheek and she blushes. "Thank you is more than enough and you are very welcome. I have to get going but, if you like, maybe we can grab a very late dinner afterwards?"

She grabs the pendant and looks him in the eye. "I'd love to." My jaw drops open. What happened to shy Kellan and who is this in her place?

Without thinking I say,"Wait, what? You'd love to?"

"Yes, I'd love to."

Not wanting to embarrass her again, I decide to wait until we are alone to question her further.

Joe has the biggest smile on his face. "That's great! Give me about a half an hour after the game and then meet me here."

"Okay, see you then. Good luck out there today," Kell says excitedly.

"Thanks," he says, smiling even more, if that's possible.

We turn and head in the other direction. As we are walking, well in Kellan's case, rolling, away, I glance over my shoulder and see Joe still standing there watching Kell. I'm am happy that he likes her so much but am also apprehensive. I mean they only just met and it almost seems like he is in love with her. I have never been one to believe in love at first sight but there is always a first time for everything. Joe seems like a genuinely nice guy and, for Kell's sake, I hope and pray he is. It will be nice to spend more time with him tonight and try to get to know him more.

Thinking that we are sitting in our usual spots, Kell heads for the elevator. I just keep on walking down the corridor.

"Where are you going?" she asks with a puzzled expression on her face.

I turn around, continuing walking, but backwards. "To our seats," I say, smiling big.

She looks at me like I've lost my mind. "Our seats are this way."

"Nope, not today. Today we have front row tickets behind home plate."

"No way! You can't be serious?"

I take the tickets from my pocket and hold them out for her to see. She rushes over and snatches them out of my hand. She looks at them for a moment then I hear her squeal and say, "HOLY SHIT!"

All of a sudden she takes off and calls out, giggling, "Hurry up you slow poke!" I run after her, laughing.

When we reach our chairs, we are both breathless. Kellan is looking around at everything excitedly until the players start emerging from their locker rooms. She watches them all until Joe appears and she can't tear her eyes away from him. When he disappears into the dugout, I take the brief opening to question her about dinner with him.

"Don't get me wrong, I am happy that you accepted Joe's invitation, but I'm curious as to why. You would have normally been shy and politely declined."

"I realized that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Plus, there is a chance that I could die on the operating table on Friday and, if I do, I want to have no regrets."

I _**hate**_ her talking about passing away, but she is right. With the first surgery, there was a 15 percent chance. This time, the odds are at least double that.

"I hope you know that you are the strongest and most courageous person I've ever met."

She winks at me and then says, "Thanks for today, Em. Except for my doctor's appointment, this has by far been one of the best days of my life." The players take the field again with Joe behind the plate. "Now, let's watch Joe's gorgeous ass for the next three hours and make it even better!"

Hearing Kell's voice, Joe turns his head and winks at her. She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand.

I whisper quietly, "I think he heard you and likes the fact that you think his ass is hot."

She starts giggling uncontrollably.

The first notes of the national anthem start playing and Kell quickly composes herself, although she is still blushing profusely. Once it's over and the fighter jets fly over, the umpire calls out, "LET'S PLAY BALL!"

The view from these seats is amazing. Kell's eyes rarely leave Joe, as do mine. There is just something about a man in a baseball uniform I find extremely attractive. Those tight pants not leaving much to the imagination. As the innings go on, I find my eyes wandering to the other players as well.

The game is intense. It is currently the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded. They announce Joe's name. The crowd goes wild as he steps up to the plate. The pitcher, some idiot named Phillip Oglethorpe, shakes off the first and second sign before getting the one he wants. He winds up and throws.

"BALL ONE!"

The catcher, a guy by the name of Kyle Masen, tosses the ball back to him. He again shakes off the first two signs before settling on the one he wants.

Being a catcher himself, Joe has a good eye at the plate. He easily sees that the pitch is another ball and doesn't swing.

"STRIKE!"

"Are you fucking blind? That was a ball! Get your head out of your ass! My 70 year old Grandma could call the game better than you and she's as blind as a bat!" Kellan yells loud enough that both the umpire and Joe turn and look in our direction. Joe has a huge smile on his face. The ump looks pissed and he stares at Kell. Instead of looking embarrassed by her outburst, she stares him down. While they have their stare down, I notice out of the corner of my eye that the pitcher and Masen are having a heated discussion on the mound. Finally, the umpire gives up and turns away.

Before stepping back into the batter's box, Joe winks at her and she smiles so big it has to be hurting her face. He has brought out this whole other side of her that, in the 20 odd years I have known her, have amazingly never seen before.

The game resumes with the next pitch, which is another ball.

"BALL TWO!"

Instead of throwing the ball back to Oglethorpe, Masen walks it out to the rubber where he is standing. They exchange a few words and I swear it looked like the pitcher said 'Fuck you'.

Masen returns and squats back behind home plate. Joe takes a practice swing before settling back into the batter's box. The catcher goes through a set of signs before crouching down further and shifting into position to catch the ball. Oglethorpe lets the ball fly. Joe hits a long fly ball down the right field line that, at the very last moment, goes just outside the foul pole.

"FOUL BALL!"

The whole crowd give a collective groan. Kellan grabs the pendant around her neck tightly and starts worrying her bottom lip. On edge, I scoot forward in my seat and tap my foot.

I can tell Oglethorpe is livid. As the next pitch comes towards the plate, Joe has to duck out of the way in order to avoid getting beamed in the head.

"BALL THREE!"

Kell and I both gasp. I look at her face and her eyes are huge and unblinking. I place my hand on her knee and give it a squeeze, but she doesn't even notice. I closely monitor her in case she goes into shock. Her breathing is normal as is her pulse. I sigh in relief and turn my attention back to this nail biter of a game.

This is it. Full count, three balls, and two strikes. The next pitch could mean we either win the game or go to extra innings. Oglethorpe takes the sign, winds up, and lets it rip. Joe shifts his weight to his back leg and swings.

_**CRACK! **_

The bat and ball connect with a thundering noise. I stand with the rest of the crowd as the ball soars into straight center field. The center fielder chases after it and, as he reaches the fence, jumps up to try and catch it. It was to no avail because the ball was hit so hard, it landed in the upper deck over 520 feet away. The whole stadium is stunned into silence for about 30 seconds before it erupts into a noise that could wake the dead. Kellan and I cheer along with everyone else.

As the other players and Joe travel around the bases, the sign in center field starts flashing and fireworks shoot out from behind it and burst in an array of colors in the night sky. After Joe rounds all the bases and steps on home, he walks towards us but is cut off by reporters wanting an interview. He catches Kell's eyes and gives her a sympathetic look. She smiles and nods her head in understanding, coaxing a smile from Joe, who was frowning at being interrupted.

She turns towards me and says, "Let's start heading toward where we're supposed to meet him. With the size of the crowd and how hyped up everyone is, it will probably take a while to get there."

While fighting our way through, we somehow manage to not get anything spilled on us. As we arrive at the designated area, I take my phone out and look at the time. I am stunned to see that it took us a good 25 minutes to get here.

Exactly five minutes later, Joe comes strolling out of the locker room. He walks past me and directly to Kellan. I can say one thing. He certainly is prompt and he smells really good.

He takes Kell's left hand in his right and says, "Ready to go?"

**A/N Sorry to leave you with a cliffie, but I felt this was a good place to stop. I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This story is dedicated to my good friend Matt Lutz. I know this chapter has taken a while, but better late than never, right?**

**I'd like to thank my girlfriend and beta, Mrs. Agget.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Kellan and my imagination.**

**KPOV**

We follow Joe to the restaurant and I am so relieved that it isn't someplace fancy. It just happens to be my favorite place to eat.

The man of my dreams and the one who stars in all of my fantasies, Joe Mauer, asked me out to eat and thinks I'm pretty! On the outside I appear calm, cool, and collected but in all reality, I am freaking the fuck out. Am I in some sort of time warp or is it really Friday and during the surgery there was complications and I'm dead? Is this heaven? If it is, I'm not complaining!

As we are walking into the diner, I feel two sets of eyes on me. One in particular is causing chills to run up and down my spine. I usually hate when people stare, but this is different. He isn't watching me because of my wheelchair and the fact I look different. Instead, he's looking at the actual person in the chair.

As soon as we enter the building, the smell of greasy food hits my nose. I was too nervous during the game to eat anything so at the wonderful aromas wafting through the air, my stomach growls.

The seating hostess takes us to our table and passes out the menus. When she goes to hand me mine, I find that I'm too tired to grip it and it falls to the table. Both of them look at me with concern. I'm happy when that's all I see in their eyes. Em has never looked at me with pity and, so far, Joe hasn't either. There is nothing worse than that and I hope it stays that way.

It has been a very long and emotionally draining day. Between the doctors appointment, Emmett's surprise, and now dinner with Joe, I'm beat.

Without missing a beat, Joe scoots his chair next to me and opens up his menu for both of us to look at.

Just then, our waitress arrives and her eyes sparkle when she recognizes Joe. "Hello. My name is Jessica and I'll be your waiter tonight," she says with a huge smile. "What can I get you to drink?" She asks, staring directly at Joe and completely ignoring the rest of us. He is oblivious to this because he is looking at me, waiting for my answer.

Being the gentleman he is, Joe says, "Ladies first."

I can feel the blush creep into my cheeks as I scan the beverage list on the menu. Finally making a decision, I say, "I'd like a Dr. Pepper, please." She glances in my direction, shooting me a dirty look, but writing it down on her order pad nonetheless. I just politely smile and ignore her rudeness.

Her eyes travel back to Joe, expecting him to answer next. Instead, Emmett looks up from drooling over all the food choices and says, "I'll take an iced tea with lemon, please," before diving back into trying to choose what to order. He does this every time we come here but always ends up getting the same thing. Huffing in annoyance, she reluctantly writes it down.

Briefly glancing at the waiter, Joe orders a cranberry juice with ice before turning his attention back to me. I have never had this kind of effect on a guy before. Jessica is far more pretty than me but he has no interest in her whatsoever. It makes me feel special and wanted. When our eyes met for the first time, I can't deny that I felt something and could tell he did too. It also sparked a bit of hope deep within that maybe this could go somewhere, but that is more than likely wishful thinking. After tonight, I'll probably never see or hear from him again. I'll bet he'll never think of me again, either.

I feel a warm sensation against my cheek and it pulls me from my thoughts. When I come to, I realize that Jessica has already left and returned with our drinks and the warmth I feel is Joe's hand caressing my face.

My eyes meet his and my heart starts pounding a mile a minute. There is something in his eyes that tells me I'm wrong in my way of thinking. He gently smiles at me. "Are you okay? You kinda spaced out for a few minutes."

With his hand still on me, I'm surprised I haven't turned into a pile of ash. His touch sends a fire through my veins. I somehow manage to to reply, "I'm fine. It's just been a very long day."

"Are you sure? We can always do this another time..." he says with concern in his voice.

I quickly assure him because I'm not certain that, after Friday, there will be another chance. "I'm positive. Food will help. I haven't really eaten all day," I say, shrugging my shoulders a bit.

He frowns at this and rubs his thumb back and forth over the apple of my cheek. "Well then, let's get some food in you."

He removes his hand from my face. I shudder at the loss of contact. His touch make me feel things I've never felt before. He gestures for Jessica and then grasps my hand, entwining our fingers and gently puts pressure on them, telling me he feels the same way.

"Have ya'll decided what you'd like to have?" Jessica asks, pen at the ready.

Joe squeezes my hand again, but this time to signal me to order first. I find it kinda odd that we are able to communicate and understand each other without words, but don't overthink it like I normally would. "I'll take the country-fried steak and scrambled eggs."

Worrying his lip, Emmett stares at the menu another minute, frantically trying to make his choice, which I end up being right about. "I'd like the Lumberjack Slam with extra crispy bacon and eggs sunny side up."

Joe, without ever really looking at the menu, tells her his order after closing it and placing it on the table. "I'll have the Fit Fare Veggie Skillet with warm tortillas."

She tells us that our meals should be out shortly before gathering the menus and leaving.

Playing around with his napkin, Emmett asks, "So, Joe, did you always want to be a professional baseball player?"

"I actually wanted to be a Veterinarian but I can't stand the sight of blood. I loved sports and played all throughout high school and ended up being drafted right after I graduated."

"Isn't that something?" Em looks at me with a huge smile on his face. "Kel has always wanted to be a Vet."

"Really?" Joe asks curiously.

"Um, yeah. I love animals and everything medical, so a Vet was the obvious choice. For apparent reasons, I have been unable to fulfill that dream," I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"I think you would be an amazing Veterinarian," he states sincerely.

Blushing, I say, "Thank you."

Seeing that I was embarrassed, Joe asks Em, "You're a big guy. Did you play any sports in school?"

"I was in wrestling throughout junior and senior high. From it, I ended up receiving a full scholarship to the U of M."

"What did you study?"

"I studied to get my degree to become a registered nurse," Emmett says proudly. Most people make fun of him for his choice but I couldn't be prouder of him. If he wants to, he can go back to school to become a doctor. He is more than smart enough, but he has said many times he never will. He enjoys the more personal one on one contact he has with the patients as a nurse.

"That's great. I understand why you'd go with that choice instead of becoming a doctor."

Em looks at him skeptically with a raised brow. "You do?"

"Yeah. You didn't want the schedule doctor's have but you still wanted to make a difference. Nobody ever really realizes just how important nurses are. Plus, I figured you wanted to learn how to care for Kellan."

I start giggling as Emmett sits there and just stares at Joe.

Not receiving any sort of response from Em, Joe turns to me and asks, "Is he okay? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, he's just stunned speechless. Trust me, enjoy it while you can. Normally, he never shuts up. He even talks in his sleep."

Joes laughs at this. "So, what exactly caused him to be speechless?"

"I think it's the fact that you have only known him a short amount of time and yet are one of the few people who haven't criticized him about it and truly understand his choice. Most of his friends and family tease him for it."

Just then, Jessica arrives with our meals and it snaps Em out of his stupor. As soon as his plate is in front of him, he digs in. I swear, that man can eat as much as an entire football team can and still have room for more. I have no idea where he puts it all, either. He is solid muscle with not an ounce of fat on him. You would think he would weigh like 600 pounds with the amount of food he consumes.

I had totally forgotten about the way he eats before I accepted Joe's offer. Embarrassed and thoroughly repulsed, I say, "Please, ignore Emmett's table manners or lack there of."

Joe smiles brightly. "It's totally fine. I grew up with two older brothers who eat like him, so I'm used to it."

I laugh. "You are lucky. I've watched him eat like this for the past 20 years and I am still sickened by it."

Despite feeling queasy from the way Em is shoveling his food in, I am still starving. I grab my knife and fork to cut up my food. It doesn't quite work out they way I want it to, though. It takes me twice as long as it normally would and, by the time I'm done, my meal is cold. I don't care, though, and start to eat. By the fourth bite, I feel that I don't have enough strength to lift my arm to my mouth anymore. I'm so physically drained from the long day I've had and I used the last of my energy to get my food ready to eat.

I am frustrated and upset that I can't do a simple thing like feed myself. I set my utensils down and try to act like nothing's wrong, but I'm not fooling anyone. Em has been paying more attention to me than I thought.

He stops mid bite and asks, "Why'd you stop eating?".

By now, Joe is also looking at me, waiting for my answer.

This has only happened to me a few times before and even though I'm embarrassed, I tell the truth because I'm hungry and can admit that I need help, even though I hate doing it. "I'm tired and can't lift the fork up to my mouth."

Nodding, Emmett scoots closer to me and begins feeding me my food. I feel like a baby and like everyone in the diner is staring at me. I look around and am not shocked to find most watching me. The only one not doing so is a tall, dark, and handsome looking man who looks like he is more focused on trying to stay awake long enough to finish his meal.

I am aware that Joe's eyes are on me and I feel like I want to disappear. I lower my head and eyes and chew my food solemnly.

The next thing I know, I feel warm fingers under my chin and find my face being lifted to look Joe in the eyes.

Smiling softly, he says, "Don't pay those other people any mind. They aren't important. What is important is that you enjoy your meal and have a good time. If what they're doing is bothering you too much, I will make them stop."

The intensity of his stare combined with his words have me blushing deeply. I avert my eyes so I can chew and swallow my food without the risk of choking. After I'm finished, I look sincerely into his eyes and say, "Thank you."

We all go back to eating but, this time, I hold my head up high. I shouldn't have to feel ashamed. After a few minutes, Emmett starts squirming in his chair and it's driving me crazy. I finally have enough when he starts bouncing his leg up and down.

"What is your problem? Do you have ants in your pants or something?"

"Hardy har har. If you would really like to know, I have to piss like a racehorse."

"Then go!"

"But you're eating and I don't want you to have to wait on my account."

"Emmett Joseph McCarty, you know damn well not to think like that!"

"But..."

"No buts. Now get your ass up out of that chair and go the restroom."

Joe speaks, shocking both of us. "Don't worry, Emmett. I can feed her while you're gone."

Em looks at him curiously and is about to open his mouth to say something, but then Joe turns to me and says, "That is if you'll feel comfortable with it, Kellan."

I am stunned and would normally say 'no, I'll be fine 'till he gets back', but with my new way of thinking and being so hungry, I say, "That'd be great. See, Em? I'll be fine. Now run along and go tinkle in the little boys room."

He flips me off and walks away in a huff. Both Joe and I start laughing so hard that I have tears running down my face. I go to wipe them away, forgetting that I'm too weak to do so. Being the sweet man that he is, he grabs a napkin and helps me. What happens next is something I will never forget. He leans in close and tucks some hair that has fallen in my face behind my ear and, as he does so, our lips brush together. Shocked, I feel goosebumps erupt all over the back of my neck. The butterflies in my stomach take flight, filling me with excitement. Our eyes meet, but there are no words exchanged. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he felt something too.

Our moment is interrupted by Emmett's loud return. "Oh my god, Kell. You will never guess who I just ran into!"

"Um...the Purple People Eater?" I say sarcastically, irritated at the loss of what might have been if Em hadn't come back so soon.

"Nope. Guess again."

"How about you spit it out before I hurt you?"

"Geeze. No need to be all bitchy," he pouts.

Feeling bad for snapping at him, I give him puppy dog eyes and say, "I'm sorry. Please tell me?"

That look never fails and, on cue, his frown turns upside down.

"Well, you remember when I told you how I went to talk to Becca and Penny while waiting for you and I ran into Alice?"

I nod my head in confirmation because, even though Em has returned, Joe still helping me eat and I have food in my mouth.

"I kinda forgot to mention that there was also a very hot male nurse present that kept looking at me. I never got a chance to meet him, so I didn't say anything."

"And...?"

"On my way to the bathroom, I just ran into him. Literally."

"Did you say anything to him?"

"I apologized for bumping into him, but that's about it."

"I never thought I'd have to use this twice in one night, but Emmett Joseph McCarty, you are an idiot!"

He looks at me, confused. "What'd I do?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Why didn't you talk to him?"

Exasperated, he replies, "I did!"

I give him a look that would make milk curdle. "You know exactly what I mean."

"Maybe Emmett was afraid to," Joe supplies. He goes to give me another bite. I smile and shake my head no. "I'm full now, but thank you so much for helping me."

Joe's distraction gives me enough time to realize that Em was probably too shy or scared to say anything more. I mean, we are talking about the worlds biggest overreactor here.

"I wasn't scared. I was more bummed than anything. My gaydar has always been spot on."

"What makes you think it's wrong this time?"

"The fact that he's sharing a booth with a very attractive young woman and they were being all touchy feely when I spotted them on my way back."

"That doesn't mean anything. It could be a close friend or relative. Better yet, it could be his fag hag." I smile and wink at him.

"In my dreams," he snorts.

"Hey, you never know. Maybe that's my problem. Guys rarely ask me out because they mistake me for your girlfriend instead of your fag hag!" I say.

"I never thought that," Joe replies, making me blush. "If I did think that, I would've never asked you out to eat. Em is kinda intimidating, even to me."

"Emmett? Intimidating? He's a big old teddy bear," I say, laughing.

Jessica brings us the check and, after arguing about it, both of us relent and let Joe pay. We walk outside and he follows us to the van.

"I've had the most amazing time. Thanks for today, Em, and thanks for dinner, Joe. It was really great meeting and getting to know you a bit. Oh, and thanks again for the necklace," I say, beaming.

"I should be thanking you, Kellan. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself today. Anytime you guys come back for a game, tell someone at the box office to leave word with me. I would love to spend more time with you both."

He shakes Em's hand and then bends down to give me a hug. I wish I wasn't so tired or I'd hug him back. Somehow sensing this, Joe, grabs my hands, places them around his neck, then envelops me back into his arms.

He kisses my cheek and then stands. "Good luck on Friday. You will be in my thoughts."

"Thanks."

I get into the van and Em quickly ties me down. He gets out and shuts the doors, then exchanges a few more words with Joe before shaking his hand and hopping in the drivers seat. As we pull away, Joe stands there waving until we are out of eyesight.

**A/N: Please let me know what you thought. Hope ya'll liked it.**

**Sarah**


	4. Chapter 4

**Penny: Hey y'all. I am S.M.'s beta! I am excited to be her official ass kicker to get her to write! *giggle* This chap has...count em...3 POVs!**

**S.M.: Ya'll read that right, 3 POV's. I might be a tad bit crazy.**

**Penny: Ah, hush it. You are brilliant. Sadly, S.M. doesn't own Twilight, but if she did...**

**S.M.: I'd be rich and Twilight would be slash not het.**

**Penny: You got that right! Anyway, enjoy reading!**

**KPOV**

All night, nurses have been coming and going in and out of my room, prepping me. Another nurse walks in the room just as I'm about to finally fall asleep to check my blood pressure and put an IV in my arm. I hate needles with a passion and it's especially hard to find a vein in me, so they started using something called a PICC line instead of a regular old IV. It was easier to do and was just better all around.

Blood and needles make my mom squeamish so, with me needing to be prepped, she opted to wait in the waiting room. Hell, I don't blame her. If it was her sitting here, I'd be in the waiting area too.

This is a sterile procedure so, since Em is staying in the room, he has to don the scrub cap, mask, shoe covers, and gloves. I have to admit that this is relatively painless except for the initial numbing shot.

The nurse is very nice. She is also quick and efficient. The line is in place and working properly in no time. She wishes me luck and leaves the room.

To try keep my mind off things, Em decides that we will watch a movie. He starts my laptop up and puts one in that he ordered from Netflix called Hard Labor.

It starts off good but, by the middle of it, I'm doubled over in hysterics.

"What in the hell do you have me watching, Emmett?" I somehow manage to ask while laughing so hard tears are streaming down my face.

"I didn't know it was a parody. I thought it was a gay love story!"

I look at the screen and am dumbfounded by what I am seeing. There is a guy with bronze colored hair, wearing a hospital gown that does nothing to hide the rather large bulge of his stomach, lying on a delivery table. He has his feet in the stirrups with his all his pride and glory showing.

The guys partner, a shoulder length, curly, wheat blonde haired man with blue eyes comes into the picture. All of a sudden, the song "Lets Get Physical" starts to play. He grabs the man on the beds' hand, bounces up and down, and squeals. It is then that I notice what he is wearing. He has on a skin tight pale blue leotard, lavender colored tights, white leggings, and a pink headband.

I let go another peal of laughter and Em can't help but join in. This is by far the most ridiculous thing I have ever watched.

The doctor then takes her place in between the auburn haired man's legs, looks him in the eyes, and says, "Edward, when I tell you to push you do so as hard as you can until the count of ten." He nods his head.

"Okay now, take a deep breath and bare down."

Edward does so but also lets go a blood curdling scream all the while having a death grip on his partner's hand. "Edward, let go. You're gonna end up breaking my hand," the curly blonde says.

"You're the reason I'm in this much pain in the first place. Shut up, Jasper, and take it like a man!"

"Eight...Nine...Ten. Okay, good Edward. Rest, and with the next contraction, push and the head should be out."

Ed slumps back against the bed, exhausted after only pushing once. _Man, men are babies._

This time when his contraction hits, Jasper is smart enough to not let Eddie boy grab his hand. Instead, Jasper is dancing and twirling around the room singing that God awful song.

Being a typical baby like most men, Edward starts to whine. "It hurts too much. I can't push anymore..."

"You can and you will. Now PUSH and concentrate on Jasper."

He obeys.

"Okay, the head is out. Give me one more little push and your baby will be out."

We both sit there in stunned silence for the rest of the movie. When it's over, I turn to look at Em and say, "I'm scarred for life. I wish my brain had a rewind button right now or that I had some bleach handy. Just so you know, you are hereby banned from picking out another movie ever again."

"Hey, no fair! It did just what I intended it to do. I made you laugh plus took your mind off things."

"That is true, but did you have to scar me for life in the process and not to mention the weird ass dreams it's going to give while I'm under? If I die while dreaming about this, I'm coming back and haunting your ass. I'll make it my mission to make your life as miserable as possible," I say, laughing.

"Don't say shit like that. You know ghosts freak me the fuck out!"

Just as I'm about to reply, my computer starts ringing. Seeing it's from my dad, I pounce to hit the accept with video button.

"Hey daddy!" I say excitedly.

"Hey, honey bee! How's my girl?"

"I'm doing okay. Em is keeping me thoroughly entertained while waiting."

"That's good. How you feeling?"

"Scared, anxious, and nervous."

"I know, baby, but you are in good hands and I'm sure everything will be okay."

We are both trying to stay strong but I can't hold back the tears any longer and they escape, running silently down my cheeks.

"Awww honey bee, don't cry. I know it doesn't make up for me not being there now but I should be there by the time you're waking up, though. I wish I could be with you right now."

Wiping my face with my hand, I say, "I know you tried your hardest to be able to be here, and I understand. Your job is very important and your country needs you. Don't worry. I'm not mad about it, honestly."

"You are the bravest and strongest person I know. I'm so proud of you and that I can call you my daughter."

"Thanks, Daddy. I'm proud of you too, and it's an honor and a privilege to call you my father."

Someone comes into the picture and whispers something in his ear. My dad nods his head a lot and then the other man leaves.

"Honey bee, I don't want to, but I need to go. Something has come up that I need to take care of before I can leave."

"Okay, Dad. Stay safe and I'll see you afterwards. I love you."

"I love you, too. Tell your mom I'll be seeing both of you soon and that I love her."

"Will do. Bye Daddy."

"Bye baby." I watch until his image disappears.

Em had left the room to give me privacy. He should be back within a few minutes with my mom in tow. I sit here alone and try to think happy thoughts. It's no surprise that Joe pops into my mind right away. Before I can think about him too much, Em, my mom, and a nurse come walking through the door.

"Hey Sweetie," my mom says and comes over and kisses my forehead. "How did the conversation with your dad go?"

"Short, but good. He told me to tell you that he loves you and he'll see us both soon."

A soft and dreamy smile flickers across her face briefly before it disappears. "Wish he was coming home under better circumstances." Me and Em agree.

The nurse hooks up some antibiotics to ward off infection and says, "Five minutes and we'll be taking her to the OR."

My heart starts pounding in my chest. I lick my lips that have all of a sudden become dry. I have become an expert at hiding my anxieties so, to everyone in the room, I appear calm, cool, and collected. However, inside I'm just a little girl who is scared to death and wants her mommy and daddy to make it all better.

Apparently, I have become transparent to Em seeing as he grabs my hand and squeezes it. I stare at our entwined fingers and concentrate on breathing normally.

He takes my chin in his palm and lifts my face so I am looking him in the eyes. "You know it's all going to be be okay, right?"

I feel like bursting into tears but I swallow and somehow manage answer him. "I know it will be," I say, giving him a watery smile.

He hugs me tighter than normal and whispers in my ear that he loves me. Once he lets go, I'm enveloped in my mom's embrace. She is trying just as hard as I am not to break down but I can feel her silent tears fall gently on my shoulder.

She continues holding me until they arrive to wheel me away. "I love you, sweetie. I'll see you in a little bit. Don't you worry. You're in good hands and in God's hands."

I give her the best smile I can muster. "I love you too, Momma."

"Okay everyone, it's time. Someone will be out every hour with an update," one nurse says while two others are getting everything ready.

"Em, please hang on to this while I'm in there?" I ask and hand him the necklace Joe gave me.

"Sure thing, Kell Bell." I smile and roll my eyes. He knows I hate that nickname but it was the perfect thing to say to break the tension.

They put something in my IV to make sure I stay relaxed and wheel me out the door and down the hall. I wave to Em and Momma and swear I catch a glimpse of Joe.

As I'm laying on the operating table, counting back from ten, I think, _It couldn't have been him, could it have?_ Then I drift off.

**EmPOV**

The first time I watched Kellan being wheeled away was hard. This time is even worse because the odds are more against her.

As she waves goodbye, I catch a glimpse of Joe out of the corner of my eye. _So he actually showed up_. I'm a mixture of emotions and I can't decide whether or not him being here is a good thing.

I walk over to him and shake his hand.

"It's good to see you again, Emmett, though I wish it was under different circumstances."

I sigh heavily. "Yeah, me too."

With my brain being so scattered, I totally forgot to introduce Kellan's mom, Olivia, to Joe until she walked up and wrapped her tiny arms around my waist.

"Olivia, this is Joe Mauer. Joe, this is Kellan's mom, Olivia Sanchez."

She pats my cheek and says, "We've already met so I know who this handsome young man is, dear."

"You've already met? When?" I ask, confused.

She replies, "Earlier, while Kellan was getting prepped. He kept me company since I couldn't be in the room with her due to only one person being allowed in there during her getting the PICC line and due to my fear of needles."

She shudders at the word needle and I wrap my arm around her shoulders.

"Well, we may as well get comfortable. It's going to be a long 20 or so hours."

This hospital was thinking because instead of the hard plastic chairs in the waiting area, there is plush looking couches, loveseats, and lounge chairs everywhere. Olivia and I sit on one of the numerous loveseats while Joe sits across from us in a chair.

I have no control over my nerves and they are starting to run rampant. I'm only half listening to the conversation between Liv and Joe. I don't even notice I'm bouncing my leg up and down until Liv places a hand on my knee and says, "Stop. You're driving me nuts."

I must have been doing it for awhile because the nurse from the OR walks in right after that to give us an update.

"Everything is going smoothly so far. She is under anesthesia now and they have rolled her onto her stomach. They should begin very shortly and I'll be back to update you in an hour. Any questions?"

Liv and I shake our heads no but Joe says he has a few, which doesn't surprise me.

"I can only give out information to immediate family. How are you related?"

Joe looks to Olivia and she says, "He's not immediate family yet, but if you don't answer him, I will just as soon as you leave."

"I guess, as long as you're okay with it, it's fine."

Liv nods her head and smiles gently. "Go ahead and ask your questions, sweetie," she says to Joe.

"What exactly are they going to be doing and is her being under for that long safe?"

"They will first have to remove the bone graft that grew over the rods. Then, they will very carefully remove each screw and the rods which is very tedious work and will take most of the time. Placing the new rods and screws comes next, and it shouldn't take as long as the removing the old ones. Lastly, they will place bone marrow over the whole area and close her up. Being under that long does have risks, but she is in good hands."

A concerned look crosses his face. "What kind of risks?"

"With any surgery, there is a risk of not waking up. The longer you are under, the higher the risk."

He nods his head in understanding.

"Any more questions?"

"No, that's all for now. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I'll be back in about an hour, so if you have any more questions then, feel free to ask."

She leaves and we all stay quiet and absorb the information. Liv and I knew it already, but hearing it again is still a shock.

After a few minutes, I make the decision to go and get some coffee and something to eat and ask Joe if he wants to join me.

"Olivia, you want us to bring you back anything?" I ask.

"A coffee with two sugars please," she says, smiling gently.

"Sure thing. Anything else?"

"No. I'm just going to sit here and either read or knit. I haven't decided which yet."

"You haven't eaten anything since last night. That's not good. I'll get you some fresh fruit," I say sternly.

"Okay, dear. I guess you're right."

I lean down and wrap my arms around her. "I know you're scared. I am too, but she is going to be fine," I whisper in her ear.

I feel a stray tear run down her cheek as she nods her head against me. By the time I pull away, she is the epitome of composure. Is it any wonder where Kell gets it from?

Joe and I head to the cafeteria on the first floor. I wait until we are alone in the elevator to start the conversation I've been wanting to have with him.

"So, I know we spent a few hours together a few days ago, and you seemed like a really nice guy. I just can't believe you actually showed up. I don't mean that to sound rude. I'm just shocked."

"I understand why you'd be shocked but, like I told you the other day, I feel something for her and I needed to be here."

"Fair enough. Just for the record, I've decided that I'm glad you're here."

"Thanks. Your approval is appreciated and with how close you and Kellan are, I feel it is necessary."

"I'm glad you think so," I say.

"So we're good?"

"Yeah, we are."

Both nodding, we step off the elevator to get our food and drinks.

~oOo~

This has been the longest day ever. I look at my watch. One A.M. It's been 19 hours and 47 seconds since they wheeled Kell away.

Sighing heavily, I run my hand through my hair for the thousandth time today. Where is the nurse with the update?

I'm tired and on edge. We all are. Finally, a whole minute late, the nurse, some redhead by the name of Victoria, shows up.

"Everything has gone smoothly and they are finishing up with the last few stitches as I speak. We will then turn her over and slowly wake her up. So, it will be about another hour before she's in the ICU and you can see her."

You know how they say the darkest hour is just before dawn, and that it's the longest? That's how I feel waiting that last hour before going to see Kell. I am so anxious to see her, my hands are sweating. Her mom is too. She is pacing the length of the room, back and forth.

Finally, the hour is up and someone comes to take us back.

**JoePOV**

I am the last to be brought in to see Kellan. For everyone else she wasn't awake yet, but as soon as I start walking down the hall, I hear this god awful scream and somehow, I instinctively know it's her. It sounds like someone is trying to murder her.

I walk a little faster and am soon right outside her room. I take a deep breath and slide the glass door open.

I was warned that she would be swollen but I wasn't prepared for just how swollen she would actually be. She whimpers and my heart breaks a little at the sound.

Quickly, I hurry to her side and gently take her hand in mine. Even with the swelling, my hand easily dwarfs hers.

She whimpers again and I use my free hand to brush a stray hair from her forehead. I sit in the seat next to her and hum Be Still by The Fray over and over again until she drifts into a peaceful sleep.

She sighs in her sleep and I swear I hear her say my name.

**S.M.: Hope ya'll enjoyed that. It was a blast to write.**

**Penny: Leave my girl S.M. some love, and see ya next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, this chapter has given me a bit of trouble, but I finally managed to get it done. **

**I would like to thank my amazing beta Mrs. Agget, who not only fixes my pesky commas, but also has babied me through this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I just like to play with the boys.**

**KPOV**

Upon becoming conscious, I'm aware of two things. The first being pain. Lots and lots of pain. I'm not sure, but I think I scream out loud because the pain is so intense.

The second thing is someone humming one of my favorite songs. I try to open my eyes to see who it is. My lids are too heavy and, no matter how hard I try, I can't get them to open. Before I know it, everything just kind of melts away and I drift into the blackness once again.

I wake up I don't know how many times. Each time is the same, though. Someone is next to me, holding my hand and humming. I can tell from the tenor of the voice it's a male. I can't help but wonder who it is. Is it Emmett, my Dad, one of the nurses, or maybe even Joe? But why would he be here?

The humming stops and I hear two voices whispering, though I can't make out what's being said. I swear I hear Joe's voice but by the time I'm able to open my eyes, Emmett is the only one in the room. Clearly I'm not in the ICU anymore, which is a good sign.

His eyes catch mine. "Kell, you're awake! We all have been so worried. You've been out for over a day."

I go to speak but my throat is so dry I can only manage a cough. Seeing me wince at the pain this causes, Emmett hurries over to the side of my bed.

Once I'm settled again, he grabs a piece of paper and a pen off of the nightstand and says, "Don't talk. Write it instead."

Waving him off, I lick my parched and chapped lips and try again.

"Water," I manage to whisper.

Emmett quickly pushes the call button. "How can I help you?" A smooth sounding male voice asks over the speaker.

"Kellan just woke up and is wondering if she can have some water," Emmett replies.

"Someone will be right there to assist you."

A few minutes later, a tall male nurse with short spiky black hair, tanned skin, and the most amazing green eyes walks in with a pitcher of water in one hand and a cup with a straw in the other. I notice he makes a slight hesitation at the sight of Emmett. I wonder what that's about?

I notice Em is just standing there watching him. Seeing as it's too hard for me to talk at the moment, I ignore him and concentrate on the attractive and obviously gay Native American man.

"Good morning. My name is Seth and I'll be your nurse today," he says while pouring me a drink.

He sits my bed up a bit more than it already is and helps me with my water.

The movement hurts like nothing I've ever felt before but I hide my pain, not wanting anyone to know. I know I don't have to mask it, but I do it anyway. It's what I do.

"I know you must be dying of thirst, but try and take small sips, if you can."

The cool liquid on my burning throat is heaven. As I slowly sip, I notice that Seth's eyes keep wandering towards Emmett.

Delighted at this, I stop and feeling able to, I quietly say, "Seth, this is my best friend Emmett."

"It's nice to meet you, Emmett."

**EmPOV**

Seeing the tall, dark, and handsome man again is quite a shock. When he starts talking to Kell, I can't help but watch and listen to every move and sound he makes. I find out he will be her nurse for the day and that his name is Seth.

_Seth._ I like the way his name sounds in my head. I wonder how it would sound speaking it? I will find out soon enough, seeing as Kellan just made introductions.

He looks at me with those emeralds that are his eyes and says, "It's nice to meet you, Emmett."

The sound of my name on his lips is divine perfection.

I hear Kell clear her throat, reminding me to speak. "You too, Seth."

As I utter his name, his eyes darken with what I think is desire. Could it be possible this beautiful creature is attracted to me? I watch as his tongue sneaks out and wets his bottom lip. Stifling a moan, I almost come in my pants.

Totally forgetting about Kell, the main reason we're here right now, I am startled when I hear the bed move.

As I look down at her, I see a mischievous smile on her face. I give her a questioning stare and her smile just gets bigger.

Being pulled out of the trance-like state we were in, Seth gets back to work. I watch as his long fingers deftly and smoothly work at changing Kell's IV bags.

"So, Kellan, how are you doing pain wise?" Seth asks, looking genuinely concerned.

"It's tolerable as long as I don't move."

"When was the last time you pushed the button for the morphine?" he asks.

"I haven't yet. It makes me sleepy and I'm tired of sleeping," Kell replies.

Frowning, he says, "I'll see what we can give you that will take the edge off but not knock you out completely. I want you to be as comfortable as possible, so promise me one thing. If the pain gets to be too much, you'll push that button," Seth says sternly.

"I promise," she says. It wasn't that convincing, so Seth turns to me.

"If you see her in pain, don't hesitate to hit the call button."

"I'm not a baby," she says, sulking.

"No, but you're hard headed and won't do what's good for you unless someone makes you."

She glares at me but I don't back down. I can see the pain written on her face, though she's trying her best to hide it.

Finally, she relents. "Fine, I'll push the damn button if it becomes too much for me to handle. I'm not doing it now, though."

Seth pats her hand. "I'll go and see what I can get you for the pain in the meantime."

She looks at him with gratitude. "Thank you."

"I'll be right back," Seth says, then exits the room.

"Kell, why are you fighting against the pain medicine so badly?"

She looks at me with eyes full of pain that could make the coldest heart melt. "My dad is only here for a short amount of time, and I want to be able to spend as much time with him as I can."

I smile and nod in understanding. I automatically feel guilty for being in the room and monopolizing some of the time she has with her dad.

"Why don't I go and get your mom and dad and send them in?"

She perks up a bit at my words. "Would you?"

"Of course I will," I say, leaning in and kissing her forehead. "I'll see you later, okay? Try not to cause the nurses too much trouble, I know how you can be."

She flips me off as I walk backwards towards the door. Laughing, I turn around and bump into Seth. In a knee-jerk reaction, my hands instinctively land on his slender hips and squeeze. Our eyes meet and I see his flash with desire. I feel the same electrifying sensation I did when I ran into him at Denny's the other night.

Feeling bold at his reaction to my touch, I smirk and wink at him. "Excuse me."

Seth is frozen in place. I release my hold and step around him. As I walk through the door, I look over my shoulder and see him checking out my ass. I clear my throat, causing his eyes dart to mine. His cheeks turn a dark red with embarrassment at being caught staring.

I exit the room smiling to myself. When I reach the waiting room, I see Olivia leaning her head against Sam, her husband. Silent tears are falling from her eyes as Sam strokes her back gently and kisses the top of her head. I don't spot Joe anywhere and wonder where he disappeared to. I thought he was doing so well with everything. Did it finally become too much?

Quickening my steps, I hurry over to Kell's parents and squat down in front of them. I grab one of Liv's hands. Looking at both of them, I smile and say, "She's awake. Kellan's awake!"

"Oh, thank God!" Liv exclaims loudly with a huge smile on her face. The whole waiting room stares at her, but she doesn't notice or care.

She turns to Sam and happily says, "She's awake. Our baby's finally awake!"

Smiling, I say, "She wants to see both of you so she sent me out here to fetch you."

Olivia stands up quickly and pulls excitedly on her husbands hand. "Hurry up, Sam. We don't want to keep her waiting!"

I laugh and watch as they both quickly exit the waiting room and speed walk down the hall towards Kell's room.

I haven't really eaten anything besides vending machine food, and my stomach lets me know it by growling angrily. I wait a few minutes to see if Joe comes back before leisurely making my way down to the cafeteria on the first floor.

I remember from when I worked here, and from the last surgery Kell had, that the food here was actually pretty good. Most hospitals serve shitty food that not even a dog would want to eat.

Grabbing a tray, I look over my choices and decide on the sloppy joes, a bag of potato chips, and a Dr. Pepper. I pay for my meal and look around for an empty table to sit at. My eyes land on Joe, sitting alone with his head down and a cumbersome look on his face. Instead of eating the food in front of him, he is picking at it and pushing it around his plate.

He is so lost in thought that he is startled when I noisily set my tray down and pull out a chair to sit. I nod at him and quickly tuck into my food. He finally pushes his tray away and sighs loudly.

_What's his issue?_ I think to myself, and then suddenly realize that he doesn't know Kell is awake and must still be worried sick.

_Hurry up and spit it out already and take this poor guy out of his misery,_ I silently berate myself.

I clear my throat to try and gain his attention, but he is once again lost in his thoughts and doesn't acknowledge me until I say his name.

"Joe?"

He scrunches his eyebrows. "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Yeah. I wanted to tell you that Kellan is awake."

His eyes snap up to meet mine. "She is? How long has she been awake? Did you see her?" he asks hurriedly.

"She's been awake for about a half hour. I was in the room when she woke up. She's in pain but refusing to take the medicine through the IV." He opens his mouth to most likely comment on her refusal, but I don't give him the chance to speak. "She wants to be coherent and spend as much time as she can with her dad before he has to leave again. They are going to give her something for the pain that should take the edge off without knocking her out."

I visibly see his whole body relax and a smile appears on his face. _Who knew he was that tense?_

At first, I was skeptical that he would bail, but here he is. I still have my reservations about him, but after his diligent waiting and his reaction to my news, I am slowly starting to realize and see that maybe he was really telling the truth that day at the ballpark when he said he would do anything to be with Kell.

"Sam and Olivia are in there now, so it will most likely be a while before you can go visit her."

"That's not a problem. I don't mind waiting a little longer if it means she gets time with them. That's what's important."

As I look into his eyes, I can tell he's genuinely telling the truth. He takes out his phone and I guess he's texting someone. Giving him some privacy, I focus on my food. As I eat, I glance around the room and spot Seth sitting with a group of nurses a couple of tables away.

I can't help but watch him as he lifts a bite of food up to his mouth and closes his full lips around the fork. _Oh, I wish my cock was that fork!_

My dick starts to harden at the sight of him slowly pulling the utensil from his mouth and licking his lips. I can't help the small moan that falls from my mouth as I try to discreetly adjust my growing erection.

"Are you okay?" Joe asks.

I quickly think of a lie. "I'm fine...I just bit my tongue..."

"Ouch. I hate when that happens."

I nod my head and my eyes fall back on to Seth. His head is thrown back in amusement. The sound of his deep, rich laughter, and the sight of the taut muscles in his neck is intoxicating.

"Isn't that the guy from Denny's?"

I didn't realize that Joe was paying attention.

"Yeah. Umm...he's one of Kellan's nurses."

"Really? I guess it's true what they say, then."

"What's that?" I ask curiously.

"That it's a small world."

"Yeah...it is," I say a bit dreamily, still watching Seth.

Joe chuckles. "Well, well. Look who is ogling the hot nurse."

My eyes snap back to Joe, who has a huge smile on his face. I can feel my own face starting to heat up.

"Oops," I grin. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah. You kinda look like a creeper sitting there staring at him like that."

Moaning and burying my face in my hands, I say, "Oh God. Really?"

Patting my back, he says, "Yep, but it's okay. I don't think anyone else noticed."

I pick my head up and look around the room. Everyone is minding their own business.

My gaze lands on Seth again. I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to keep my eyes off of him no matter how hard I try.

"Why don't you go and talk to him?"

The person on Seth's left whispers in his ear.

"Because I..." I trail off as he turns his head in my direction and looks directly into my eyes.

He turns back to the table and says something before standing up. To my utter disbelief, he walks in my direction.

"Looks like he's coming to you, instead. Why don't I give you both a little privacy?" he asks quietly while standing up. I turn to ask him to stay, but he's already gone. I look around for him, but it seems he like he has vanished into thin air. _What the hell?_

"Is this seat taken?" I hear Seth ask in his smooth as silk voice.

Turning my attention back to him, I smile. "No. Please sit."

He pulls out the chair and takes a seat. Our knees brush together under the table and I relish in the small amount of contact we have.

"It's Emmett, right?" Seth smiles.

Nodding, I extend my right hand. "Yeah. Emmett McCarty. You're Seth?"

"Yep. Seth Clearwater," he says, shaking my hand.

Releasing my hand, he places it on the table. We are quiet for a moment that feels like an hour.

Seth finally breaks the silence. "So, I was wondering if you would like to go for coffee at the end of my shift?"

I am stunned speechless. That was the last thing I thought he was going to say. I thought he was going to talk to me about Kellan.

It takes me a minute before I find my words. "Sure. I'd really like that."

"Great! I get off at seven. How about I meet you outside of Kellan's room?"

"Sounds good."

He looks at his watch and sighs. "Well, it looks like my lunch break is over," he says, and we both stand up.

"I look forward to seeing you later, Emmett."

"Me too," I almost whisper in response.

As he walks away, he gazes over his shoulder and winks at me. I stand and watch him until he is no longer in my sight. Once he's completely gone, I pick up my tray, dump my garbage into the trashcan, and place it on the table next to it.

I make my way back to the waiting room where I find Joe sitting next to a little boy who looks to be about eight. As I get closer, I hear them talking about baseball.

I'm not at all surprised when he takes a pen from his pocket and signs an autograph for the little tyke.

They chat for a few more minutes, and I hear Joe promise to come back and visit him. I don't doubt he will keep it.

As he stands, he spots me and nods in the direction of some empty seats on the opposite side of the room.

"So, how'd it go?" he asks curiously.

"Better than expected. He invited me for coffee at the end of his shift."

"That's great. Did you agree to go?"

"I did," I say, smiling so big it hurts my face.

"I'm happy for you, Emmett."

"Thanks."

A little while later, Kell's mom and dad walk out. "Joe?" Olivia says.

He looks at her. "You can go in and visit her while she's still awake, if you like."

"I would love to. Thanks," he replies.

The chair I'm sitting in allows full view of the hallway, so I watch as he walks down the hall and knocks on the door. After a few seconds, he enters the room and the door closes behind him.

**I hope ya'll enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought.**

**Sarah**

**P.S. I have some exciting news! My other story, Bookshop Desires, which has been on hiatus the last eight months, is finally going to be updated soon. Mrs. Agget will be co-authoring it with me.**


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